Southwest
Texas teacher accused of having sex with student, giving perfect scores, test answers
A Houston science teacher allegedly gave test answers and perfect grades to his student during their months-long sexual relationship, a criminal complaint revealed.
Spring Branch Independent School District teacher Stephen Griffin, 46, is facing felony charges for an improper relationship with an 18-year-old student, according to a complaint filed in Harris County District Court last month. He has been released on $5,000 bond since his Dec. 7 arrest, court records show.
“There’s been no evidence of this whatsoever and we deny the charges,” his attorney, Justin Harris, told Fox News Digital on Monday. “Mr. Griffin has been a model teacher throughout his career and this has blindsided everybody. We have some trails that we’re going down that might explain where these allegations might be coming from.
“Generally when these things happen, what you read in complaints and what actually ends up happening are usually night and day from each other. They’re on the same planet, but they’re different parts of the same day. We’re waiting to see the evidence in the case. At this time it’s just allegations. If you believe the state’s allegations on their face, this is not a sexual assault case – this was a consensual act between two adults.”
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Stephen Griffin, 46, faces a felony charge for having a sexual relationship with his 18-year-old student, the Spring Branch ISD Police Department said.
Griffin’s 18-year-old student told Spring Branch ISD Police that she would meet her science teacher at a hotel and, later, at his apartment in the 2022 and 2023 school year.
The teacher was working at Memorial High School at the time and in the process of divorcing his wife, according to the complaint.
Texas Penal Code 21.12 classifies an improper relationship between an educator and student as a second-degree felony, whether the student victim is legally a minor. It is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
The student’s mother reportedly brought their relationship to administrators’ attention around Nov. 30, according to the complaint. Her daughter would share incriminating text messages between herself and Griffin with Spring Branch ISD Police later that day.
About a year earlier, on Sept. 23, 2022, the unnamed female student emailed Griffin asking to eat lunch in his classroom during his off period. The teacher emailed her his personal cellphone number after the meeting, telling her they had “similar backgrounds” and that he was available if she ever needed help or someone to confide in.
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A digital forensic investigator with the Spring Branch ISD Police Department reviewed texts and photos on the student’s phone that confirmed her relationship with 46-year-old science teacher Stephen Griffin. (Google Maps)
The pair texted back and forth for a few months, the complaint shows. In November, the student met with Griffin at the Staybridge Suites Hotel, where they had sex, according to the complaint.
They would continue to meet there, she told police, and once exchanged oral sex in his classroom. On one occasion, she and Griffin allegedly had sex in the back of her car behind a restaurant in Houston.
At that point, the student recalled, the teacher began giving her test answers in advance and 100% scores on all of her assignments. Griffin allegedly gifted her his gray staff jacket and a candle that smelled like his cologne.
Their relationship ended midsummer 2023, the student said – Griffin allegedly told her to stop contacting him because he was trying to reconcile with his wife.
A Spring Branch ISD digital forensic technician then took the student’s phone to scour her Snapchat and Signal accounts for correspondence with Griffin.
The complaint showed one Snapchat message from Griffin on an unknown date read: “We need to talk. I miss you. Can we talk? I’m suicidal right now. Call me. Ok babe. This is how it’s going to be? Don’t do this, call me. Can we talk in person? Want money? I’m about to kill myself. Please call me.”
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It is unclear whether Griffin is still employed by Memorial High School – he is still listed in the school’s online staff directory as of Jan. 8. (Google Maps)
It is unclear whether Griffin is still employed at Memorial High School – his name is still listed in the school’s staff directory on its website.
Griffin’s employment status was not immediately available from Spring Branch ISD officials.
“(This is) a personnel matter involving a criminal investigation. The district cannot confirm the identity of individuals involved at this time,” Spring Branch ISD told ABC 13 last month.
Griffin’s next court date is scheduled for Feb. 28, per online court records.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
A hospital needs help identifying a male patient who was found injured and unconscious in downtown Los Angeles.
The man is believed to be in his 30s, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
He was found injured on the ground on Omar Street and has been hospitalized since June 22.
He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 176 pounds. He has brown eyes, dark brown hair and tattoos across his upper body.
He did not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6885.
The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or, after hours from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., call 323-409-6883. On weekends, call 323-409-5254.
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